Are Zebus Kosher?

By Rabbi Yechiel Teichman

Before answering the
question whether or not a Zebu is kosher, we first must answer the question:
what is a Zebu. The Zebu is an animal native to parts of Africa and is also
raised in South America and Mexico. It is distinguished by a hump on its back
and hanging skin. It is particularly suited to survive the extreme heat as the
hanging skin contains many sweat glands. These glands allow the animal to sweat
profusely, thereby maintaining its body temperature. It can also survive for
longer periods without food or drink. Although the Zebu is a species of
domestic cattle and has the signs of a kosher animal, i.e. split hooves and
chewing its cud, there is still uncertainty about how to classify it.

Kosher animals are separated
by the Torah into two groups. The first group is domesticated animals (beheima) and includes three types:
cattle, sheep, and goats. The second group is wild animals (chaya) and includes seven types. Each of
the two groups has distinct halachos.

Halachic Differences

Description

Domesticated (beheima)

Wild (chaya)

Chelev fats

Forbidden

Permitted

Cover the blood
when Shechting (kisui hadam)

Not required

Required

One of the seven
types of wild animals is the תאו which
is translated as the “wild ox”. The variety of cattle known as Zebu may in fact
be a תאו – the wild ox.

Shulchan Aruch Y.D. 80 discusses how to
identify a chaya in contrast to a beheima. The Shach says that this is not relevant criteria, as we do not consume
animals for which we have no tradition. This approach is similar to the
restriction used when it comes to birds – i.e. that we only consume them where
there is a mesorah (tradition) to
their kosher status.

The Pri Megadim takes issue with the simple meaning of the Shach’s position that we only eat
animals when we have a tradition, and asks why there would be such a custom
regarding animals. The simanim (signs)
of kashrus of birds are more complex and thus prone to error but the simanim of animals, split hooves and
chewing its cud, are straightforward without room for error. The Pri Megadim therefore says that the minhag when it comes to animals is to
treat all unknown species as safekchaya (wild, out of caution) and to
require the stringencies of both chaya
and beheima, namely, requiring kisui hadam, and to forbid its chelev fats.

The Chazon Ish on the other hand learns the Shach according to its simple meaning, that one should simply not
eat unknown species.

Unknown Species of Animals such as Zebu

Source

Can Eat It

Chelev Fats

Kisui Hadam

Pri Megadim

Yes

Forbidden

Required

Chazon Ish

No

N/A

N/A

Rav Shlomo Miller shlit’a, Rosh Beis Din of Kollel Toronto explained that even according to Chazon Ish the minhag not
to eat new species is not related to simanei
kashrus. The concern is that there is a lack of certainty regarding the
classification of the animal (i.e. chaya
or a beheima). Since a status of safek chaya/safek beheima requires one
to fulfill the chumras (stringencies)
of both i.e. not to eat the cheilev,
and do kisui hadam, the minhag was to avoid this because people
would rationalize and not keep both chumras.
Rav Miller pointed out that this concern is valid because those who shecht zebu do not practice kisui hadam.

On a practical level regarding
whether COR should allow imported meat from zebu extraction, Rav Miller gave
the following advice which was heeded by COR’s rabbinic staff: he said that it
does not seem that the prevalent practice of Torah observant Jews in America is
to be concerned with the Chazon Ish’s minhag. Perhaps then this is a minhag that can change over time subject
to acceptance. Even those who are bound by this minhag can use meat when the majority of the meat supply is not
zebu.

Furthermore, Rav Miller
said, since the minhag of not using
new species is based upon the requirement to fulfill chumras of chaya and beheima, there is room for leniency in
third generation zebu mix breed. If one can employ the concept of rov (majority) when the offspring is
mostly beheima to absolve the
obligation of kisui hadam, there
would be no reason to prohibit its use.

Whether or not one could
consider this offspring rovbeheima, would be dependent on how one
views a mixed breed. This is discussed by Pri
Megadim and Chochmas Shlomo:

·
Pri Megadim views a mixed breed as 50%
of each type.
לענין חלב בתיש הבא על
הצביה והוליד בן עי' פ"ת ס' פ' ס"ק ב' שהביא מהפמ"ג שרק חציו הוי
חלב. It would follow that an additional cross breed with a beheima would be considered 75% beheima and 25% chaya, and would not be obligated in kisui hadam.

·
Chochmas Shlomoסימן פ' on the other hand
writes that in a mix breed one never knows how much of each type is in any
given part of the animal.

In summary Rav Miller advised
that in his opinion, there was nothing wrong with COR allowing meat from shechitas that use zebu. Since the
majority of what is shechted today is third generation species, it would not
appear as noticeable zebu, i.e. hump backed. Therefore all, even those who
follow a minhag like the Chazon Ish, can consume the meat of the zebu
species with the comfort that it is in fact kosher.